Copyholder



Oct. 3, 1940. E H METCALF 2,217,127

COPYHOLDER Filed July 15, 1938 INVENTOR (Salk/MW Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNETED STATS r FFECE 1 Claim.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a device of this character for holding loose sheets and bound copy books in a position convenient for reading; and at the same time progressively indicating, by means of a movable line indicator, each line of written copy.

A further object of this invention is to provide a copyholder of a simple, efficient and durable construction which may be made of any suitable material in different shapes and sizes.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 represents a front elevational view of a copyholder constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the backing plate of the copyholder as it appears with the line spacer in operating position in relation to the reciprocal rack.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the carriage showing the recessed braking mechanism.

Figure 4 is a side elevation view showing a section of the reciprocal rack with the, line space lever disconnected therefrom and folded to inoperative position.

Loose leaf copy is clamped in reading position against the face of the copy backing plate I by means of paper retaining fingers Z mounted on a shaft 3 on one end of which is a spring 4 the function of which is to hold the paper retaining fingers 2 under tension against the face of the.

backing plate I having feet shod with rubber as shown at Ia. It will be understood that the backing plate I may be provided with any suitable means (not shown, since it forms no part of the invention) for supporting it in a slightly inclined position upon a desk or table.

The line indicator 6 is rigidly attached to a carriage 8 slidable upon a guide rod I0 which is spaced from and fixedly secured to the backing plate I by the studs I. The carriage 8 has a tubular extension 9 containing a recess wherein is located a friction member such as a ball 9a, a compression spring 9-?) and an adjusting screw 90 for regulating the pressure of the ball 9-60 on the guide rod Iii.

A spring-actuated pawl I I is pivotally mounted on the screw IIa on the side of the carriage 8; and this pawl, under the influence of spring I Ib, is caused to engage the teeth of a reciprocal rack 52 which imparts steps of movement to the carriage, the length of said steps of movement being predetermined by the position of the stop Ii pivoted on a screw I la extending into the lower end of the reciprocal rack I2. Although the pawl I I engages the teeth of the reciprocal rack I2 to impart movement to the carriage in a downwardly direction, it will be observed that the rack I2 is free to move upwardly under the action of its associated return spring I3 without displacing the carriage which is frictionally retained on the guide rod Ill by the means hereinbefore described. It will be noted that said toothed rack I2 is provided with slots I2-a through which extend the screws I i-b and l4c which are secured to the backing plate I and reciprocatively support the rack IE on and parallel with the edge of the backing plate I.

Rigidly attached to the backing plate is a hanger IS in which is pivoted a line space lever I5 having an end I5-a adapted to be engaged by the users finger. A pin I 'II set into the spacing lever i5 is positioned to engage and lock in the slot I8 in the reciprocal rack I2 when said rack is located at either one or the other extreme terminus of its movement.

The paper to be copied is secured to the copy backing plate I by the retaining effect of the fingers 2. The line indicator 6 is then moved to a position directly below the first line to be copied, this being readily accomplished by moving the pawl II out of engagement with the rack I2, by engaging the outer end Il-c of the pawl with a forefinger and the extension 8--a of the carriage with the thumb of the operators left hand. Thereafter, after copying each line of the paper to be copied, the operator depresses the spacing lever I5 with the result that the rack I2 is reciprocated downwardly and carries with it the carriage Bcarrying the line indicator 6; and when the lever I5 is released the rack I2 returns to its upper position.

It will be understood that when the stop I4 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, actuation of the lever l5 will cause the line indicator 6 to move a distance equal to the distance between lines of what is known as single-space typewriting; and that when said lever I5 is swung in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 2) so that the notched portion IA of the lever engages the screw Mb, depression of the lever I5 will cause the rack i2 and the line indicator 6 to move downwardly a distance equal to the space between lines of what is commonly called double-space typewriting.

Without limiting myself to details of construction which may be varied within the scope of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a copyholder, a backing plate, a toothed rack having slots therein, screws extending through said slots and into the edge of said backing plate for reciprocatively supporting the rack directly on, and parallel with one edge of the backing plate, a guide rod rigidly attached to said backing plate, a carriage slidably and rotatably mounted upon the guide rod, a spring actuated pawl pivotably mounted on the carriage and adapted to engage the teeth of the reciprocal rack whereby a step of movement is imparted to the carriage by the downward movement of the reciprocal rack, an adjustable braking means recessed in the carriage to prevent movement of the carriage upon the return or upward movement of the reciprocal rack, a line indicator rigidly mounted upon the carriage and movable therewith, means facilitating releasing the pawl from the teeth of the rack to permit the free movement of the carriage on the guide rod, a lever mounted on the backing plate and engaging the reciprocal rack, said lever being operable to effect movement of the reciprocal rack throughout a complete step of movement in one direction, a spring attached to one end of the reciprocal rack to return said rack to its normal position for beginning its next step of movement, a plate containing graduated steps pivoted upon one end of the reciprocal rack and engaging one of said screws to regulate the distance that the reciprocal rack may return after being actuated downward by the spacing lever, thereby regulating and predetermining the length of steps of its movement.

EARL H. METCALF. 

